New York City, NY — The American Psychiatric Association Foundation wants you to know that mental health care can work for you when you make the call. The Foundation’s national multimedia campaign, Mental Health Care Works, entered its second year at the 2024 APA Annual Meeting in New York City. The first year of the campaign, which included messaging in both English and Spanish, called on the public to increase literacy around mental health conditions and be aware of mental health care resources available to manage those conditions. The campaign has reached audiences via TV, radio, and print publications, receiving more than 242 million impressions in its first year.
In year two, the campaign’s mission is evolving from raising awareness to inspiring action. Using personas that represent people with lived experience, Mental Health Care Works seeks to redefine what it means to be whole and well by encouraging individuals to connect to mental health care services when it is appropriate to do so. The APA Foundation is empowering the general public to take an active role in their mental well-being and equip themselves with tools to build a care plan at MentalHealthCareWorks.org.
Mental Health Care Works uses the power of storytelling to connect to audiences on a personal level. In 2023, the APA Foundation introduced three personas: Lizzie, who struggles with anxiety; Diego, who is dealing with depression after the loss of his wife; and Simone, who is experiencing post-partum depression. Now, there are three additional faces of the campaign: Robert, a father whose family has inspired him to confront what triggers his alcohol use disorder; Sarah, a middle-aged woman who finds strength through support from her community while struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); and Marcus, a young man learning to manage his adult ADHD. All campaign images and stories will emphasize the importance of relationships in overcoming or learning to live with mental health difficulties.
“The Mental Health Care Works campaign sits at the center of our strategic plan,” said Rawle Andrews, Jr., Esq., executive director of the APA Foundation. “The message that mental health care works when you make the call is more important than ever at this watershed moment for mental health services and supports. As the campaign continues to evolve, we are committed to weaving the Mental Health Care Works messaging into every area of our work to meet you where you live, learn, work, worship, and play.”
During the campaign’s pilot year, concentrated messaging efforts were made in Raleigh-Durham, NC; Denver, CO; and the D.C.-Baltimore metro area. The second year of the campaign is primarily targeting these efforts in Houston/Harris County, TX; Greater Boston, MA; and Salt Lake City, UT. These locally focused campaigns are supplemented by a national television, radio, and print public service announcement campaign, distributed to more than 11,500 outlets across the country.
The 2024 APA Foundation Benefit on May 6 will commemorate the first year of the campaign and welcome the second year’s personas. Learn more about the Benefit and about Mental Health Care Works.